CHILDREN from Loreburn Primary school got a shock last week when they discovered what appeared to be the remains of a crocodile in a river just outside Dumfries.

CHILDREN from Loreburn Primary school got a shock last week when they discovered what appeared to be the remains of a crocodile in a river just outside Dumfries.

The primary six pupils were visiting the River Cairn with a teacher and staff from the Nith District Salmon Fishery Board to release Salmon fry when they made the startling discovery.

Douglas Creighton, the primary six class teacher said: “We were doing a river study. We were taking three or fours locations and their measurements when we rounded a corner.

“There was shouting, one from the front saying ‘there’s a crocodile’. We thought it would be a lump of wood.”

On closure inspection however it appeared to be the body of some form of reptile.

Debbie Parke, a staff member of the Nith District Salmon Fishery Board said: “We were releasing fry into the river and were walking down and one of the kids started going ‘there’s a crocodile, there’s crocodile’. We had a look and it was some sort of reptile. It definitely was a shock.”

Debbie later returned to the scene with a reptile expert to determine what species the body belonged too.

The mysterious reptile is believed to be 1.2m in length.

The expert suggested that the body was most likely that of an iguana.

However it was noted that the markings on the creature did not quite match those of an Iguana.

Debbie said: “It probably was an iguana that got too large for its tank and was released into the wild.

“But the markings on the back were quite different from that and the head was quite decomposed and had no jaw. So it was hard to tell if it was a crocodile or not.”

Douglas Creighton and his pupils were left just as stumped to the identity of the curious critter.

He said: “We have got a teacher in the school who keeps reptiles. She had a look at the photographs we took. On the back an Iguana has a similar appearance. It does look like a crocodile. It has the square patches like a crocodile behind the back legs.”

“The children weren’t scared though, they were very excited. It’s led to some very exciting writing in the school.”